Save more Lives presentation to Orange County Supervisor Bartlett 1/28/16 by No Kill Shelter Alliance

1. No Kill Shelter Alliance – Facebook | Twitter: @NoKillShelterCA email: nokillshelterca@gmail.com
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Meeting with Orange County Supervisor Bartlett & Staff*
plus Steve Franks, Dr. Jennifer Hawkins (OCAC)
Jan 28, 2016
Topic: Improving Animal Welfare @OCAnimalCare
Orange County Animal Care, California
* Paul Walters, Chief of Staff, 5th District | Tanya Flink, Office Manager/Scheduler
Bowie
OCAC euthanasia
listed
“APC-BHV unable to
examine - not safe”,
also “could not leash”
Rescued
Jan 19, 2016

2. No Kill Shelter Alliance – Facebook | Twitter: @NoKillShelterCA email: nokillshelterca@gmail.com
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Bowie
(click for video)
https://youtu.be/XhujdiSe4Eg
Thank
you for
saving
us!
EUTH LISTED
“APC-BHV unable
to examine - not
safe”

"exhibits animal
aggression“


3. No Kill Shelter Alliance – Facebook | Twitter: @NoKillShelterCA email: nokillshelterca@gmail.com
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Agenda – Improving Animal Welfare @OCAC
Introductions
What are the possibilities to SAVE MORE LIVES?
Best Practices at other animal shelters
Statements by animal welfare organizations and governments about shelter responsibilities
Recommendations for immediate action:
Moratorium on “empty cage killing”
Approve two free* shelter assessments (Austin ACC,
San Diego HS) *travel expenses only
Our Questions to OCAC
OCAC Presentation
Wrap-up – review of action items, schedule next mtg
@OCAC = Orange County Animal Care

4. No Kill Shelter Alliance – Facebook | Twitter: @NoKillShelterCA email: nokillshelterca@gmail.com
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Examples of Best Practices to SAVE MORE LIVES
San Diego Animal Welfare Coalition
Austin
Washington Humane Society
Ventura County
Dogs Playing for Life
Best Friends Kennel Enrichment

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Austin

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City of Austin No Kill Resolution

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Austin City Live Release Rates

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Major points of Austin’s No Kill implementation plan
Revise mission of Animal Services, with moratorium on empty cage killing
Report public information with implementation of a sound performance-measurement system that clearly connects shelter
operations to the life-saving mission.
Decrease shelter intake via the following:
High-volume, free and low-cost spay and neuter surgeries
Projected cost of $110,000
Decrease owner surrenders
Intervention program run by APA with volunteers to freely converse with owners regarding alternatives and what
will happen to their pets if surrendered
Supply microchips to track success of program
Owner-surrender disclaimer to ensure the owner surrendering fully understands what may happen to their pet
Full-time behaviorist to decrease shelter intake, prevent return to shelter, and assist in giving information on shelter
animals and rescue groups.
Increase live outcomes via the following:
Comprehensive adoption program via partnership with APA and off-site adoptions
Maximizing the use of current shelter building facilities
Large scale foster program
Increase feral cat live outcomes
Public awareness and advocacy
Volunteer public-relations task force to promote shelter needs
Partner with Love-A-Bull to promote positive outcomes for pitbulls, including reestablishing the pitbull task force
Revamp website to provide much more information about each animal in its care (including where stray was
picked up, known personality traits etc.), candor about number of animals killed at the shelter, and opportunities to
help reduce the killing.

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Examples of life-
saving programs
in Austin

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Washington D.C.

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Ventura County

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Companion Animal Welfare Major Directions
Best Friends Definition of Euthanasia
ASPCA: Responsibilities of animal
shelters
Rhode Island Shelter Bill proposal

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ASPCA Position Statement on Responsibilities of Animal Shelters
ASPCA Position Statement on Responsibilities of Animal Shelters
Message from the President: ASPCA Position Statement on Responsibilities of Animal Shelters
What Shelter Animals Deserve from Us
Recommendation:
We work through this document together identifying areas for
improvement. For example:
Goal 4: Animal sheltering is increasingly transparent
A. All public and private shelters should make written descriptions of
key processes and information easily and readily available for public
inspection.
B. Records and data concerning key processes, information, and
outcomes must be maintained by all public and private shelters and
made publicly available.

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Rhode Island Bill Date Introduced: January 08, 2016
S T A T E O F R H O D E I S L A N D
RELATING TO ANIMALS AND ANIMAL HUSBANDRY - ANIMAL CARE
This act would require that animal shelters meet certain specified conditions
prior to 2 euthanizing an animal.
SECTION 1. Chapter 4-19 of the General Laws entitled "Animal Care" is hereby amended by adding thereto
the following section:
3 4-19-22. Disposition conditions. – In addition to any other applicable law regarding the disposition of animals, animal shelters
shall meet the following conditions before euthanizing an animal pursuant to this chapter:
(1) The holding period for the animal shall have expired; and
(2) There are no empty cages, kennels or other living environments in the
shelter suitable for the animal; and
(3) A foster home is not available through another municipal or private animal shelter
or Rhode Island incorporated animal organization; and
(4) Another municipal or private animal shelter or Rhode Island incorporated
animal organization is unwilling to accept the animal; and
(5) The animal care or control manager of the animal shelter has certified that
the above conditions have been met and that he/she has no other reasonable
alternative.
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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Enact NOW!
Moratorium
on Empty
Cage Killing
Just some of the empty dog
kennels on Jan 26, 2016;
and all of the euthanasia listed dogs

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IMMEDIATE ACTIONS
Moratorium on empty cage killing
Full review of the shelter by two
independent groups (Kristen Auerbach at Austin,
San Diego Human Society) so recommendations
can be made save more lives
Then…
Establish a committee for best practices
in progressive life-saving sheltering,
whose composition is yet to be
determined

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Our Questions for OCAC
How are litters counted in the euth numbers?
Please step through and explain the
adoptability document (see next slide)
How long is a dog kept? What is the
algorithm?
How many volunteers and of what type how
many are active? How is active defined?
How often can a volunteer sign up? Right
now all slots are full and there is no way to
be placed on a wait list.

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OCAC Document 400.04 Animal Adoptability
HOW and WHERE and with WHAT PROPS or TOOLS the assessment should be
made (note that a shelter environment is not a natural environment)
What oversight by is done by management of an adoptability decision? Since a
non-adoptability status is often a death sentence (unless rescued), this is highly
important. What training is done? What review of the adoptability decision is
made, and what type of quality assurance is done to make sure that the process
is being followed correctly?
Deep concern that adoptability can be denied for reasons that are not related to
that particular animal and there is no definition of these factors:
B. Other Factors Other factors that must also be taken into consideration when assessing the adoptability of an animal:
1. Demand of a particular breed, i.e., how many of a particular breed is already housed/available at OCACS.
2. Age of an animal, i.e., how likely will an animal be adopted at this age.
3. Space: the sporadic/seasonal balancing of OCACS space is needed so that room is available for incoming
stray/owned animals.
4. Length of stay, i.e., signs are present that indicate that the well being of an animal is being adversely affected by
the extended stay in a kennel run or cage. Any staff that observes any behavior that would indicate that the animal
is not an ideal adoption candidate will place a memo in the Chameleon Kennel Window indicating the behavior
witnessed. This is to ensure that the most current information is available when a decision of an animal's
adoptability is required
OCAC Document 400.04 Animal Adoptability

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Removing breed labels and testing for food guarding
Progressive shelters are removing breed labels from dogs -- Kristin
Auerbach is a leader of this change and will explain when she does her
assessment. There are many reasons why including that breed labels
based on appearance are more wrong than right, most dogs are mixes
not purebred which makes labels unreliable for any purpose, and breed
labels are stereotyping that takes away from adopters evaluating the
actual pet. There are many articles and studies on this breed labeling
topic: here is one by Kristen herself:
Removing Breed Labels: Easier Than You Think
Another adoptability issue is the test for "food guarding". While exactly
HOW OCAC tests for this is not explained in this document (shouldn't it
be? does the evaluator just make up their own test?), it has been proven
to be unreliable, unimportant, and just plain wrong, causing many dogs to
be labeled unadoptable and summarily killed. Please read this article:
ASPCA Research Update: What Happens When We Stop Assessing
for Food Guarding?

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OCAC Presentation

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Wrap up